1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of swimming pool accessories, and to the particular field of accessories used in servicing a swimming pool.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Today, many homes and recreational centers have swimming pools. Some of these pools are in-ground and others are above ground. These pools generally have some form of water treatment system which generally includes a pump for moving water from the pool via a skimmer system to and through a filter system. Water moves through this water treatment system and debris as well as impurities and contaminants are removed from the water before it is re-circulated back into the swimming pool. Water treatment chemicals are also injected into the water during the water treatment process.
Sometimes, the water treatment system, itself, must be serviced. This service can include servicing individual parts of the system, cleaning the system, replacing parts of the system, conducting emergency repairs, and the like. Often, servicing the water treatment system requires dismantling all or part of the system. Water cannot flow through the system or even be located in the system if the system must be even partially dismantled.
At the present time, before servicing a water treatment system, many pools require draining at least some of the water from the pool so the water level of the water remaining in the pool is below the level of the intake/return port of the water treatment system so water does not flow from the pool into the water treatment system during servicing of the water treatment system. This may be costly and wasteful. Since the level of the water must be lowered, a large pool may lose thousands of gallons of otherwise useable water, which then must be replaced after the water treatment system is placed back on line. Not only is the water wasted, any chemicals in the water will be wasted, and energy may be wasted in reheating the newly-filled pool back to a desirable temperature. Not only is water wasted when water is removed unnecessarily, water is wasted in replacing the removed water.
Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that can be used in connection with a water treatment system of a swimming pool that will permit servicing that water treatment system without requiring the draining of a large amount of water from the swimming pool.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide an accessory for a water treatment system of a swimming pool that can be serviced without requiring the draining of a large amount of water from the swimming pool.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory for a water treatment system of a swimming pool that can be serviced while requiring the removal of only a very small volume of water from the swimming pool.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory for a water treatment system of a swimming pool that can be serviced without draining the pool to a level below the level of an intake/return port of the water treatment system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory for a water treatment system of an above-ground swimming pool that can be serviced without requiring draining of a large amount of water from the swimming pool.
These, and other, objects are achieved by an accessory that fits over the intake/return port of a swimming pool water treatment system in the manner of a dam to fluidically isolate that intake/return port from the body of water in the swimming pool. The accessory prevents swimming pool water from flowing to the intake/return port and thus permits the water treatment system to be dismantled if necessary.
Accordingly, the water treatment system can be serviced without requiring lowering the water level in the pool to below the level of the water treatment system intake/return port. Water that normally would be drained and then replaced will not be removed from the swimming pool.
The accessory, itself, is simple, lightweight and easy to place and remove thereby making it economical and easy to use.